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Friday, August 30, 2013

My Friend the Congressman Comes to Visit

By Paul Nowell

In my
former life as the Charlotte correspondent for The Associated Press, I had the
opportunity to meet people from a wide variety of disciplines. Some were
quarterbacks or federal judges. Others were banking executives or artists.

Along
the way, I even interviewed one or two television evangelists.

During my
career in the Fourth Estate, I had the pleasure to cover the comings and goings
of former U.S. Rep. Robin Hayes and members of his congressional staff, which
included a graduate of UNC Charlotte, Richard Hudson.

U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson and Chancellor Dubois

With
the 8th District always up for grabs in election years, I spent a
considerable amount of time with Richard at campaign events in downtown
Charlotte or outside former textile mills in smaller towns such as Kannapolis.

No
matter how things were going for either of us, we always enjoyed ourselves,
swapping war stories from the campaign and giving each other grief if one of
our favorite sports teams was on the skids.

I knew
Richard was from Charlotte and that he had graduated from UNC Charlotte. I did
not know he was the Student Government Association president – most likely
because he never boasted about his personal accomplishments. He was totally dedicated to his boss and a
consummate professional in his duties as the district director for
Hayes from 2000 to 2005.

Flash forward and now Richard is the
new representative in Congress from the 8th District. After winning
64 percent of the vote against Scott Keadle in the Republican primary, he went
on the defeat Democratic incumbent Larry Kissell in November.

In an always-competitive district, he
captured 54 percent of the vote to Kissell's 46 percent and took office in
January 2013

So it was a real treat when I learned a
couple of weeks ago that Richard was coming to campus to meet with Chancellor
Philip L. Dubois and vice chancellor Bob Wilhelm to learn more about the University’s role in advanced
manufacturing.

U.S.
Rep. Richard Hudson ’96 visited his alma mater, UNC Charlotte, on Tuesday, Aug.
27, 2013, as part of his August recess from Congress. Hudson wanted to
visit the campus to learn more about the University’s role in advanced
manufacturing.

Hudson
met with Chancellor Philip L. Dubois, Bob
Wilhelm, Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development,and other University officials. After a stop at
Jerry Richardson Stadium, he stopped in at the Precision Metrology Lab and
other high-tech industrial labs in Duke Centennial Hall.

Hudson meets with Prof. Scott Smith and Dubois

Hudson said he viewed the visit
as a chance to see firsthand how UNC Charlotte is becoming the critical training
ground for high-skilled manufacturing jobs. One of his stops was the Center
for Precision Metrology, which is internationally known for its expertise in
manufacturing processes and quality assurance for mechanical parts.

For his part, Dubois said it is essential for UNC Charlotte
to have access to federal funding for research such as the work being done in
the center, where equipment is expensive. “That’s why it is important for
members of Congress to understand why this work is so critical,” he said.

Mechanical Engineering Professor Scott Smith showed Hudson
some of the discoveries made at the center, ranging from military aircraft
construction to consumer electronics such as the iPod.

“North Carolina is on the cutting
edge of advanced manufacturing jobs,” Hudson said, “and we need to make sure we
increase the number of job opportunities in our community and ensure our
students have the skills they need when they enter the workforce.”

Hudson, a
Republican, was elected in November 2012 to represent North Carolina’s 8th
Congressional District. He earned his
Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Political Science from UNC Charlotte
while serving as Student Body President. Hudson
serves on the House Agriculture Committee, the Education and Workforce
Committee and the Homeland Security Committee.He is the current Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee's Subcommittee
on Transportation Security.

###

Paul Nowell is media relations manager in the Office of Public Relations.

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